Afterschool Rhapsody
by Sasukeluva 4eva
Summary: Haruno Sakura—the resident sweetheart of Konoha High. Uchiha Sasuke—the somewhat 'nerdy' senior. What could possibly happen when the two are forced to spend a whole month alone together in afterschool detention? LEMON ALERT! Spur of moment fic, ATTEMPTED!


**Disclaimer: IDNON, BIDHTOS! That is all.  
Disclaimer #2: I do not own the lyrics to **_**'Understanding (wash it all away)'**_**; all rights reserved go to **Evanescence**. **

* * *

_Summary (full): _

_Haruno Sakura—the resident sweetheart of Konoha High. _

_Uchiha Sasuke—the somewhat 'nerdy' senior. _

_What could possibly happen when the two are forced to spend a whole month __**alone**__ together in afterschool detention? _

_LEMON ALERT!_

* * *

**S**a_s_**u**k_e_**l**u_v_**a **4_e_**v**a_ p_**r**e**s**e_n_**t**s**;**

_**Afterschool Rhapsody**_

_Sasuke x Sakura Lemon Oneshot_

* * *

"Look! It's Haruno-sama!"

"Haruno-hime! Please go out with me!"

"No, go out with me!"

"Why would she want to be anywhere near a loser like you?"

"Screw off fucker! She obviously finds _me_ more appealing than _you_-who-has-a-face-that-resembles-a-baboon's-ass!"

It was always like this; every single day that the pink haired teen attended school, which was, for the most part, every day of the week, the virile, highly hormonal boys of Konoha High School flocked her, begging for her attentions, if even brief.

That was the thing though.

The rosette had never been one for dating, if the fact that she had never been kissed said anything to attest to that; she was one that was studious in every aspect, and strived to make it to the top no matter what obstacles oppressed her. And so far she was successful in her goal to be the best she could be.

Smiling timidly at the crowd of over-obsessed fanguys, she gently refused them, saying that she was currently only interested in furthering her academic scholarly, nothing more, and continued on her way to her first class of the day; it was nearing the end of the second semester, meaning that whilst she was preparing on moving into her senior year, said seniors were getting ready for graduation—there was only a few short, sweet weeks of school left for those lucky bastards.

But even in her envy, the pinkette could be anything but spiteful towards them; after all, they had worked extremely hard to get through the majority of their major exams, and the stress and workload was soon to be uplifted from their consciences.

They deserved their freedom, if only temporarily.

Smiling mostly to herself, the Haruno girl slowly made her way down the teeming hallway, her emerald orbs glowing in the fluorescent lighting that flooded the entire campus complex as she swerved to avoid the group of overbuilt young men, all of their eyes glued upon her figure as she retreated and put further distance between them and their leering stares; of all the things, that was what she hated the most—the way they could openly ogle her with no regard for how she felt.

She had even been told by her closest friends that the majority of the guys at the school had jerked off thinking of her writhing beneath them; that had been enough to completely deter her from any vague attempts at flirting, lest they took it the wrong way.

Shuddering at the memory, the teen continued down the hall, her eyes glazed as she drifted off into reverie, reliving memories that she had been rather fond of at one stage in her life; until, that is, she was snapped out of her pondering when she collided with a firmly built barrier.

Stumbling backwards clumsily as she tried to regain her footing, she barely noted that a large hand shot out to grip her forearm before she took a tumble, righting her, before removing the appendage and reinvesting it in the pocket of their baggy jeans. With wide eyes, the rosette brought her startled gaze up to meet that of the stranger that had prevented her fall; dark, raven locks that were spiked up in casual disarray at the back of his head, long bangs framing his features, what seemed to be an impossibly tall stature, and thick black-rimmed glasses obscuring his eyes from view.

He seemed relaxed enough, but there was something vaguely threatening, _menacing_, about his aura, almost as if there was a lot more to him than anyone could see... Little did she know how right she was.

"A-Ah! T-Thank you for that...?"

She trailed off, hoping that perhaps he would take the hint and introduce himself; he simply grunted in reply, nodding curtly, before sweeping off down the hallway, whispers breaking out almost instantaneously.

"Ugh, isn't he that nerdy senior guy that doesn't have any friends?"

"What the fuck was he doing, grabbing Sakura-hime like that? She should place charges for sexual harassment against him!"

"Ew, I cannot _believe_ that that _slut_ is into _nerds_!"

"But I suppose it's fitting, seeing as she _is_ the school's brainiac!"

Exaggerated laughter erupted from the resident sluts of the Konoha High, travelling all the way to Sakura's ears even from the distance she was away from them; they were simply _begging_ for attention. She was positive that they would go to all lengths in order to gain the boys' favour, resorting to even giving blowjobs and having sex with them—honestly, if anyone was the slut in this picture, they were far more suited to the category.

And seriously?

At least she even _had_ a brain behind her 'sex appeal', rather than the whimsical obliviousness and utter stupidity that spread like a disease within the majority of the female population; thank the lord that she had smart friends, or else she would literally wither away in this claustrophobic setting.

Shaking off the negativities that were the snide remarks made to mar her saintly name, Sakura quickened her pace, breaking out into a near-run as she prayed that she wouldn't be late for homeroom, all the while reminiscing on the enigma that was the 'nerdy senior'.

Sakura emitted a drawn out sigh as she slowly sauntered through the practically abandoned corridor, her sling-bag smacking into her hip and upper thigh as she made her way toward the outer campus for her next lesson (which happened to be on the other side of the school grounds, making it that much more of an inconvenience to the pink haired teen). So far, she was no more enlightened about the older man; she had even gone over to Tenten and Hinata, asking them who they thought he was, or may have been affiliated with.

* * *

Tenten was surprisingly helpful, mentioning that her boyfriend (and Hinata's cousin) was acquainted with a guy of a similar description to what Sakura had offered up, but she couldn't have been sure, since she had never met him personally; the ravenette could only shrug, flushing a light tinge of pink as she floundered over the appropriate thing to say, which only came out as a stuttered mess of incoherent slurrings that only led to further confusion amongst the females.

Shrugging off the subject, they had continued to talk about Hinata's latest boy-crush; well, he wasn't really her _latest_ one, seeing as he was the _only_ one she had ever had, up until only recently, but that was besides the point. But back to the present...

* * *

Sakura sighed contentedly, gradually moving her legs at a half-decent pace, hoping to stall her arrival to the subject she loathed the most—biology with Orochimaru. Rubbing her now goose-bump laden arms, Sakura juddered unpleasantly at the mere thought of being situated at the front of the classroom, closer to his creepy paedophilic advances; it was a known fact that Orochimaru had more than just a _thing_ for her and her exceptional exotic beauty; after all, how many girls did you know that had pink hair and green eyes as a mixture? It ran in the family!

Footsteps were heard in the otherwise eerily silent vestibule, causing Sakura to jump as she watched a group of six seniors step out of the shadows of the boys' bathroom, stopping so that they were blocking the pathway; the atmosphere had shifted to one that was more fitting of the current situation, darker and thick with sexual tension as they feasted upon her covered flesh—with the way they were looking at her, Sakura could only assume that it wouldn't be there for very long, if she oh so stupidly decided to stay.

Which she wasn't.

No way in fucking hell.

The supposed 'leader' of the crew of men spoke up, a sardonic smile twisting his plain features until he resembled something out of a horror movie.

"Well, well, well, lookie at what we've got here, boys'. Haruno Sakura, simpering sweetheart of Konoha High! What a pleasure it is to finally set eyes upon the very thing that has all of the guys at this school obsessed! And I can finally understand why they all talk about you in such a positive light! You truly _are_ an angel in disguise. Perhaps we could... _test_ that _kindness_ you possess, by I dunno, taking you out back and fucking you senseless?"

Sakura felt all of the colour drain from her face as the guys made a move to close the distance between them, snickers and evil chuckles resounding in the foyer as they advanced like a lion upon a fledgling gazelle; letting out a startled shriek when one of the boy's lunged for her, Sakura skidded backwards on the linoleum flooring, turning sharply as she darted back down the way she came—perhaps if she went to an area likely to be inhabited by other students and or faculty staff, her attackers would defer from their quest of raping her.

Slamming her feet into the ground, Sakura rounded a sharp corner, stumbling when she met in yet another collision; but there was no more time to escape, as the seniors that had been only seconds ago sexually harassing her rounded the very same corner, halting only metres away from Sakura and the person she had so clumsily barged into. Without registering it properly in her terrified mind, Sakura clenched the obviously male's shirt tautly with her small fists, burying her face in his chest and keeping it there as the potential rapists moved in for the kill.

"Come now, koi. We're not gonna hurt you. We just wanted to have a little _fun_ is all."

Sakura answered with hectic tremors that moved even the older male holding her fragile body against his (although his hands were in no way touching her, instead remaining stiffly at his sides as he worked to solve what had just unfurled before him), leading him to become rigid with unapparent anger; thankfully the other males had yet to notice the drastic change in ambience.

* * *

"Oi! Let her go, _nerd_! She's _our_ plaything for the morning sessions!"

Another one of the guys—he believed it was Keisuke, one of the key players in his year—ground out sternly, superiority over the raven haired teen almost openly displayed without any hint of remorse. It only served to piss him off more.

Normally he wouldn't have questioned the motives of anyone else if it didn't directly involve him as the main 'issue' at hand, and would hand over the item of their query without any concern, but since she had chosen to cling to _him_ for support, since she seemed so _desperate_ to escape them, since she had chosen _him_ to help her... well, it more or less seemed to directly involve him now, didn't it?

Feeling the familiar burn of his lips twitching at the corners, the raven haired senior spoke up, voice devoid of all emotion—cold, harsh, ruthless, _unforgiving_—as he defended the trembling woman who was now being held in his capably strong arms.

"If she had wanted to be with you fuckers, I'm sure that she would not have run from you when given the opportune moment; the very fact that she stands here, trembling in another man's arms, only serves to prove this as a fact. So unless you wish to be expelled and put in prison for attempted rape, on the school's prized 'sweetheart' no less, then I highly suggest you crawl back to whatever shell you came out from under and stay there. Got it, or do I have to spell it out for you?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she absorbed his speech, the tears no longer mingling with his dark t-shirt; he was defending her? Looking up, the rosette was stunned to see the same man she had bumped into earlier, towering in an impossibly confronting way over her, his expression blank, and eyes still hidden behind those hideously out-of-fashion glasses; but they somehow made him more _appealing_ to her, which was more than just a little confusing.

She had never really been interested in a guy until now, after all. The insane cackles of the opposing dominant males resounded in the apprehensive silence, leading her to bury her face in his chest once again; she had always hated feeling so powerless, especially in situations like this, but she knew better than to invoke the wrath of a gang of hormonal, experimenting teens.

So she withdrew from their attentions, hoping that perhaps the threat had had some affect on their resolve—unfortunately, she had no such luck.

"Tch, we're the fuckers here? What about you, holding our next fuck against yourself? Who's to say that that's all you want of her too?"

Sakura stiffened at the mention of him perhaps wishing to do the same to her, but was reassured when he tightened his grip on her; he wasn't like that, not in the least.

"Heh, do you honestly think that Haruno Sakura would be caught dead with a nerd like you?"

Directing blows at egos, hey?

Two could play at this game.

"Hmph, do you think that Haruno Sakura would be caught within ten thousand miles of a bunch of pussies with no basic appeal whatsoever like you?"

The raven haired male couldn't withhold the smug smirk that graced his lips as he watched his fellows flounder in fury over his statement, their faces the epitome of hilarity; oh so red and splotchy.

"You fucker!"

He pushed Sakura out of the way in time to block the punch that had been aimed for his face, clutching it within the crushing snare of his fist as he reflexively raised his right leg, kneeing the shorter young man in the gut, leaving him winded and gasping for air that couldn't be swallowed without immense pain; with lithe, smooth precision, the spiky haired individual delivered a heady spin-kick to the side of his head, the student gliding through the air before smashing into the metal lockers halfway across the corridor.

Of course, while he had been preoccupied dealing with the boy that had turned out to be Keisuke, another one of his 'gang' used this glitch to take advantage of his blind spot, slinking their way behind him before intertwining his leg around the raven haired teen's right one, kicking his footing out from beneath him as he spun around to face his next opponent with his remaining leg, only to be met with a solid fist to his cheek; he was sent sprawling to the ground, his glasses falling from his face and skittering across the floor, lenses shattered as he spat out blood from his mouth, raven bangs distorting his face from view as he gazed at the gathering pool of blood that had formed from his orifice.

A shrill scream alerted him to her presence, before he felt small hands cupping his cheek and shoulder on an angle that suggested that she still could not see his face, stroking him gently as she asked in a panic if he was alright; it only took Sakura a few moments to realise that the other seniors were gathering to where she currently was.

_'This boy... he... took that punch for __**me**__... he protected me from their advances...! So I have to... do something... to help him too!'_

Sakura skilfully evaded the grapple that the leader of the gang made for her arm, flipping so that her skirt rode up her creamy thighs to reveal shorter black shorts beneath, her leg poised as she allowed it to gather some reinforced strength, before she snapped out, the hard sole of her shoe connecting with his chin as a sickening _'crack!'_ was emitted from the sheer force of her blow, a piercing scream leaving his lips as he fell backwards, crumpling to the floor with the pain she had inflicted upon him.

She had nothing but the element of surprise on her side, so she used it to her advantage, rolling across the floor to evade the kick that another of the males made, before smacking her foot against the boy's knee, dislocating it with the brute force and leaving him in tatters as well; rising to her feet, Sakura skidded across the floor and spun to avoid the various sloppy punches and kicks that were meant to render her incapable of fighting back, before she brought her hand back into a firm fist, snapping forward like an angered cobra only to have it collide with the closest man's face.

He flew backwards into the lockers, his head impacting with such force that not only did it leave a noticeable dent, but it also knocked him dead into next week, a nasty concussion rendering him unconscious; just as Sakura went to turn on the next gangster, her long pink locks were grabbed in a taut fist-lock that would have uprooted them had that not been the intention.

She found herself screaming as the front of her white blouse was torn open to reveal a pretty white and pink lacy bra, a large hand grasping her full left breast with harsh brutality unfelt in her entire life; Sakura squirmed and thrashed violently, trying desperately to escape, only to have her legs held pin-straight by one of the men she had managed to successfully injure.

Her emerald orbs were wide and frantic as she searched out the figure of the senior that had saved her twice that day, her eyes resting upon his unnervingly still body as he slowly turned his face toward her; for what seemed to be the millionth time, her breath caught as she allowed her gaze to fall upon his proper facial features.

He was... _breathtaking_.

But what really caught Sakura's attention was the sheer amount of anger and bloodlust that resided in his piercing onyx orbs as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, wiping the trickle of blood away from the corner of his mouth until there was not even a smear remaining to indicate its presence.

With that, he moved with such speed and accuracy that Sakura almost keeled had she not been feeling the urge to throw up in disgust, or wasn't being so painfully manhandled as she was currently; this guy was fondling far too much in places far too inappropriate to be acceptable.

Fists smashed into various places, the cracking of breaking bones echoing in the hallway that was strangely inactive; Sakura flinched with every snapping noise that became audible, and with every repulsive touch she was being exposed to. When he had finally dealt with the remaining members, the raven haired teen turned on the guy that had been previously feeling Sakura up; his hands had frozen in motion as he noted that he was the only one left standing.

_Clack! _

_Clack! _

_Clack!_

With every menacing step he took, the remaining member backed up one more.

_Clack! _

_Clack! _

_Clack!_

He was getting closer.

_Clack! _

_Clack! _

_Clack!_

He couldn't take it any longer.

"F-Fine then! Y-You have her i-if you want her so much!"

A dark, portentous chuckle was emitted from the dark haired man's throat, before he spat out his response.

"_It's too late to bargain, you sick fucker_."

With that, he snapped forward, tearing Sakura from his grip before shoving him to the ground, raising his fists before bringing them down upon him with such hostile violence that it even had Sakura feeling sick; crunches, splintering snaps and rifting clefts of bones breaking echoed sadistically in the corridor as the blood flowed freely, the man's screams turned whimpers as he was beaten beyond recognition.

At this point, Sakura couldn't take it anymore; darting forward, she tugged at his shoulders, ripping him away from the victim of his brutality, before hauling him to the other side of the hall.

His frenzied eyes snapped up to meet hers, a frightening, frosty glare settling on his features as he fought to get away and beat the crap out of the boy once again; Sakura wouldn't have it.

"Please! Calm down! That's enough, you've hurt the poor boy enough!"

"_Poor_ _boy_? You want a replay of him _molesting_ _you_ against your will?"

"I know what he did was wrong, but he doesn't deserve to be _killed_ over it! Please, you've done enough! Please, just _stop_! I'm begging you! _Stop_!"

Sakura sobbed, the terror all but clear in her voice, tone, eyes, face as she gazed up at him with tear-streaked cheeks; he remained impassive to her sudden display of emotion, but he did relax his tense muscles, willing himself to submit to her will because she had already seen and gone through enough to last for a lifetime.

What a scene it was for the principal of their school to walk into; a bloodied hallway littered with victims, a sobbing teenage girl wearing nothing but tattered clothing as a shield, and a somewhat apathetic Uchiha, smeared with scarlet liquid and a slightly swollen left cheek.

* * *

"What? A _month_ of afterschool detention? But you didn't even _do_ anything! If something, you only defended yourself from those fuckers!"

Tenten growled angrily, slamming her fists down on one of the steel tables in the cafeteria, alerting the attention of all that were within vicinity of her ranting; Sakura shushed her with a desperate look to pipe down, to which she followed, begrudgingly.

"It was only reasonable, Tenten! After all, not only did I break bones, but I broke school regulations by engaging in violence rather than doing the sensible thing and finding help!"

"Argh, you _did_!"

"Yes, but he didn't exactly follow the school guidelines either, now, did he?"

"Who gives a fuck? He fucking _defended_ you from those bastards! I should like to meet this 'nerdy senior' person of your dreams. Perhaps we could be friends."

"Tenten!"

"What? I was just clearing things up with you. It is _oh so obvious_ that you have taken a liking to this guy-that-you-only-met-this-morning! _That_ is what I wanted to point out to you, and in my opinion, I already approve of the two of you, so hurry up and make him want you already!"

Tenten exclaimed with a haughty grin, mischief lining the depths of her chocolate brown eyes as she examined the pinkette's flushed features.

Yep, she was _totally_ into him.

And now all she had to do was reel him in.

With a little help from her two besties, of course.

* * *

"The two of you are to stay here and clean this storeroom for Orochimaru-san until it is spotless, understood? Neither of you are leaving until the job is done. Sign out through the office and inform them of your task once it is completed, so that you may leave. If it cannot be completed this afternoon, then you will keep coming back here until it is sparkling; but I highly suggest you get this one out of the way, seeing as you'll only have your other chores stacking up on you until they are all finished. If you manage to finish all of these tasks before the one month deadline, you're free to go; your punishment will be lifted entirely. Got it? Good. Now get to work!"

Tsunade barked, before exiting the room and closing the doors, the sound of her heels retreating against the flooring doing nothing to fill the awkward tension that had built between the pair; Sakura rolled up the sleeves of her borrowed shirt (she practically squeezed the stuffing out of Hinata when she produced a spare that she could lend for the day), pulling her long bubblegum locks into a high ponytail before she idly began shuffling around the dusty complex, picking up a lukewarm sponge as she cleared the flasks of any and all grime that had gathered upon its surface.

The rosette had yet to learn the senior's name—although she thought it somewhat unfair that he had the upper hand over her, since he had already proven he knew of her—but had learnt that his surname was that of the prodigious family of Uchiha, famous for their fortune, fame and looks.

Sakura would have said that that were not the case for this particular member, until she remembered the angry contours of his expression as he tore away at the other boys'. But most of all, the heart-wrenching despair that was locked away within the depths of those endless pools of ebony.

He had looked so rueful, _torn_—broken.

He was entitled to be, after all; he was an orphan with the exception of his older brother, watching in the most brutal of ways his family being slaughtered by a crazed uncle.

Her heart bled for him, but that was soon forgotten when she noticed that she had been caught staring at him for far too long; blushing, Sakura snapped her gaze away from his figure, and concentrated on the job at hand, scrubbing, cleaning, dusting and moving objects into neat piles on each of the shelves.

At this point, it was only then that Sakura realised that he was just standing there, watching her through another annoying pair of glasses (how many of those did he have on him?).

"Why the fuck aren't you doing anything?"

A smirk was her only reply.

"You stubborn asshole! This is a punishment we were _both_ given, and I'm not to be expected to do your part as well—"

"This was not my punishment. It was _yours_."

"EHHHH? The fuck are you talking about? _You_ were the one beating those guys up within an inch of their lives—"

"Yes, but that only happened due to the circumstances where _you_ dragged _me_ into _your_ mess. Which implies that this is entirely _your_ fault."

"ARGH! You fucking egotistical _jerk wad_! I didn't _ask_ for your fucking help, y'know!"

"Well it certainly seemed that way when you decided to hang off of me."

Sakura flushed at the memory, knowing that he had dealt her the winning card; it _was_ her fault, had been all along. Even if she _hadn't_ been the one delivering the major collateral damage, she _still_ instigated it and condemned those boys' a deadly fate the minute she dragged the Uchiha into her problem; _she_ had been the reason they had gotten hurt as badly as they had. Biting her full bottom lip, Sakura simply stared at the mop that was in her hands... which was now in another's manlier clasp.

Her eyes snapped up in time to see a smirking raven haired Uchiha, prying the mop from her grasp, removing it from her as she gazed up at the reflection of herself that the lenses of his glasses produced.

"You're too slow."

_It'll be faster if we do it together._

That was how Sakura interpreted it, and she preferred it that way. With a small smile, she turned, only to seconds later ask, "If it isn't too much to request, would it be too much trouble to at least know the name of the person I'm going to be stuck with for the next month?"

With a smirk all his own, the raven haired senior turned slightly, his eyes hidden behind thick black rims as he replied nonchalantly, "Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

"Waaaaaah, you baka! That is _not_ how you clean a paned window!"

Sakura giggled as she watched the Uchiha stretch his long arms up to reach the specks of dirt that flecked the very top of the glass; a heated glare was the warning that Sakura should back off before she got hurt, but of course, after having spent two weeks with him already, she had learnt that he could do very little to intimidate her. Mostly. Except for when and if he lost his temper.

He was usually quite playful, in a superior 'I'm better than you' sort of way, but when he snapped... Sakura shuddered at the distant memory that was stirred along with the feelings. Tenten had been right. She _did_ like this guy. A lot more than she should have. In fact, all recollections of his actual face were gone; all she saw was what he conveyed, and she loved every bit of him anyway.

"The hell are you looking at?"

Sasuke questioned irritably, annoyed that she had gotten the better of him and noted his woes with the library window.

Smiling mostly to herself, Sakura stepped up so that she stood alongside him, gently grasping his wrist and guiding it in such a way that it made his job easier than it had been before.

"You have to rotate your arm on a fixed angle, so that it doesn't pull your shoulder, but rather flexes it and cleans the window at the same time."

Sakura explained meekly, her cheeks flushing a deep scarlet at the thoughts her inner was entertaining, of him shirtless, cleaning the window; a very steamy product of her fantasies, but one that would never come true.

The pair stood together, side to side, their bodies touching ever so slightly, each enjoying the company the other provided.

* * *

_.._

_..._

_Everyone had noticed it. _

_The fact that the nerdy senior and the sweetheart of Konoha were spending more time together, each usually outside under a sakura tree, eating their lunch and simply thriving in each other's company; it was also inevitable that Tenten and Hinata noticed. _

_It was also preordained that they had a plan that would ultimately bring them closer together. _

_Now was the time to execute it, while they remained unsuspecting._

_..._

_.._

* * *

It was pouring with rain when Sakura asked if Sasuke would take off his glasses; he seemed rather reluctant at first, but since they were at the very entrance of the school, on the pagoda, with the rain acting as a shield, he hesitantly complied, removing his only shield from his face.

That foreign feeling of recognition kindled in Sakura's stomach, along with something else, that clenched and unclenched as she continued to stare at the god before her. He was beautiful, in every sense of the word; but more than anything, his eyes bore holes into hers, sending unexpected chills down her spine as she slowly moved forward to gingerly cup his cheek, just as she had two weeks earlier.

Sakura traced the contours of the Uchiha's face, relishing the feel of his smooth, porcelain-like skin under her warm fingertips; his flesh was cool, not warm, but not cold either, a mixture that one minute was freezing to her, but unbearably hot the next.

It was beautiful; _he_ was beautiful.

Sakura's mouth almost fell agape when she saw the mistletoe that had been only just placed above their heads (courtesy of two nosy besties), but it seemed that Sasuke was more than laidback about it; almost as if he was _unfazed_ by it.

"A-Ah! T-There's mistle...toe... a...nd... it's not even... Christmas...?"

Sakura remarked sluggishly as she felt a cool hand press against her cheek, tilting her head up on an angle as their lips were suddenly only inches apart, the appendage now clutching the back of her head as his breath fanned against the flesh of her face.

Smirking slightly, Sasuke simply grunted in reply, before closing the distance between their mouths with a chaste kiss.

The rain fell around them like a barrier, shielding them from the troubles of the world beyond the looking glass.

* * *

_.._

_..._

_It was getting around. _

_The rumours, that is. _

_That a certain 'nerdy' Uchiha was dating a certain pink haired 'sweetheart'. _

_They wanted to believe it wasn't true. _

_As for them? _

**_They said otherwise._**

_.._

_..._

* * *

It was their final day of afterschool detention; once it was done... well.

That was the thing.

Sasuke was due to graduate in two days.

That was it.

She only had that afternoon with him, then he was gone from her sights, thanks to the fact that there was a get-together for all of the seniors of that year tomorrow, and the night after was when he was apparently leaving for Otogakure, where his brother eagerly awaited his arrival; after today, she would never see him again. _This was it_. For their final detention, Tsunade had set them up in a relatively clean classroom, where they were to write lines for the remainder of the school period; that is, until it was time for the staff to pack up for the night. It was to be a later stay for them, though, as they had to set up the podium for the graduating students, which was always an extravagant event in itself.

Sighing, Sakura finished her eighty-seventh line of_ 'I do not instigate fights with upperclassmen'_, raising the pen from the page and staring at it intently; the letters were becoming bleary.

Shit, now she was tearing up.

Just the thought of losing him... even if they _had_ only known each other a month, and had been 'dating' for half that time, she still felt as if a part of her heart was being torn out in the process. It was selfish of her, but she wanted him to stay, and never leave.

"Sakura? What's wrong?"

The sound of his voice... _that_ would disappear from her life too. She would never hear it again. The tears spilt over, falling to the sheets of paper with audible _'plops!'_ as she shook with silent sobs; his chair scraped against the linoleum flooring, and before Sakura knew it, she had been physically swivelled in her chair to face him, his hands resting on the exposed flesh of her lower thighs as he knelt before her.

"_What's wrong_?"

His voice was demanding, slightly more forceful than he had intended, and it seemed that the harshness of it made her cry all the more; he corrected himself almost immediately, out of sheer habit.

"Sorry, Sakura. I always seem to make you cry over something, no matter what my intention; that's been happening a lot lately, huh?"

Sakura instantly shook her head from side to side, before reaching out with her hands and cupping his face between them, tugging him up to meet her lips in an almost pleadingly desperate kiss; he couldn't leave her, he just couldn't. But he would. He _was_.

"Sakura—"

She cut him off again, pushing herself from her chair only to straddle his hips, her weight forcing him back if ever so slightly as she rained soft kisses over his eyelids, cheeks, chin, nose, forehead and lips, praying that her message was getting through to him; it seemed it was.

When Sasuke was finally able to pull away, Sakura was already removing herself from him, simply wanting to run from the classroom and never look back; she couldn't take it. So this is what it felt like when your heart was cracking, tearing at the seams, before shattering into nothing but fragmented shards of a former organ? This is what heartbreak felt like? It was certainly something that Sakura never wanted to feel again, that was for sure. But she was tugged down until she was straddling him once again, her hands forcefully clasped behind his neck as he kissed her, roughly, almost angrily.

"Don't..." One bruising kiss to her already swollen lips. "For a minute..." Another. "Think that..." And another. "I won't be..." And another. "Keeping in touch with you..." And another. "After I leave here."

With that he kissed her again, sliding his tongue into the confines of her mouth, brushing and tapping it against hers ruthlessly as he tore away at her blouse, ripping it from her body and discarding of it completely, leaving her in her lacy white undergarments as she mewled feebly in slight protest; just when she thought he was going to be rough with her, she was left stunned and rather embarrassed when she felt his cool fingertips glide over the heated flesh of her sinewy muscles, squeezing and probing gently, carefully, as if she would break with the smallest of volatile touches. Sakura wouldn't fight back.

This was _their_ moment. Probably the only they would ever have together. And that was how Sakura wanted it. She wanted it to be them, _him_, together, otherwise there would be _no_ other chances; he already held her heart captive. Running her hands through his hair, she tugged him closer, craving his warmth as he slowly but surely unzipped the fly of her skirt from the hem right down to the very bottom of her creamy thigh, slipping the loose material off until she was only in her underwear; sighing when she felt his hands knead the flesh of her hips with his palms, Sakura kissed him laxly, her eyes heavy and hooded as she gazed into his, which were in the same state as hers, darkened with evident lust.

Grinding her pelvis into his, the rosette couldn't help but gasp at the heated friction that was created, the raven haired Uchiha groaning as he tapped her hips with his again, yearning for that same contact she had instigated; Sakura was vaguely aware that a warm, bubbling feeling was kindling in her loins, trepidation boiling to the surface as she rubbed her thighs together, the sudden surge of heat in her sex making her almost uncomfortable.

Smirking at her reaction to the chafing of their most intimate parts, Sasuke gently pried apart her thighs, pressing his prominently large bulge against her weeping slit; funny, she hadn't noticed the growing wetness until now.

Moaning in a mortified manner, Sakura rolled her hips against his, almost weeping herself whilst looking for the right amount of pressure that needed to be applied; why was it that he was allowed to have so much control over her? Honestly, he was still fully clothed, whilst she remained barely covered; how was any of this fair on her?

"Mmmmnnnggghh! You...r... cl...othes...! Nnnnnnnnnn-fair!"

Sakura whimpered weakly when she managed to find her voice, which was hoarse and thick with longing; he was too cruel. Smirking at her declaration, the Uchiha decided it was only fair to even out the scoreboard. Pushing her back so that she was at a fair distance from his chest, Sasuke lifted his shirt over his head, leaving him exposed from torso up; Sakura flushed scarlet. She had always dreamed of what he looked like when half naked, but this officially stood to be the best she had ever laid eyes on.

"You like?"

Sasuke questioned smugly, already knowing her reaction; further colour exploded in her cheeks, before she nodded meekly, gnawing lightly on her lower lip as he reached out to brush her pink bangs from her face. From there, he trailed his hand over the swell of her breasts, her peaks hardening and straining from beneath the material of the lacy brassiere.

"Mmmmmmmm...!"

Sakura's lip trembled as the colour flushed over her flesh, her limbs shuddering with weak tremors as she slowly reached out for something to lean on, which ironically enough ended up being his broad, toned chest; he seemed satisfied with her movement, as he continued idly tracing the full, plentiful curves of her bust, flicking the stiffer section of her breasts with the pads of his thumbs until they ached to be touched bare.

The desperate look Sakura gained on her face was all that Sasuke needed to take initiative, sliding his hands behind her slim back only to have his long fingers grasp the clasp of her bra, prying the slips apart until the support was removed from her completely, falling to the floor and out of Sakura's reach; flushing at the sudden exposure, the rosette attempted in vain to cover her bare breasts, only to have her arms tugged to her sides so that he could observe their plumpness—Sakura had never been so mortified in her life. And with good reason; after all, she had never been seen in such a vulnerable state until now, and in front of the guy she happened to be heavily 'crushing' on no less.

But it seemed that Sasuke was quite pleased with the sight, the appreciative growl he made at the back of his throat the indication of such as he reached out to gingerly cup one of the heavy mounds, the other hand tracing circles on the small of her back as he gently began to knead the full bundle, his thumb grazing and tweaking at her small pink nipple until it stood at complete erectness; Sakura trembled with the sensations that were created, her heightened sensitivity only managing to widen the Uchiha's smug smirk all the more—this would be promising, and a day to remember.

He'd make sure of that. Sakura felt her back instinctively arching into his hand, furthering the contact she so craved for as she felt her hips naturally grinding down upon the heated bulge that had been so avidly pressed against her inner thigh, her euphoric moans melding with his gratified grunts; her entire body shook with pleasure immeasurable.

* * *

_Lying beside you_

Listening to you breathe

The life that flows inside of you

Burns inside of me

Hold and speak to me

Of love without a sound

Tell me you will live through this

And I will die for you

Cast me not away

Say you'll be with me

For I know I cannot

Bear it all alone

_

* * *

_

* * *

"You're not alone, are you?"

"Never... Never."

His touches all too familiar, yet foreign, burned their marks upon her, his embraces warm, caresses sweet, kisses loving; how would she survive without these, these allegedly 'mediocrities'? It just didn't seem plausible anymore. But somehow, even amidst it all, Sakura _knew_; she knew that he would _always_ be with her. She would never _truly_ be alone.

Sakura felt her moans constrict in her throat when the sudden feeling of Sasuke's fingers lacing around the hem of her panties became prominent above all else; her once relaxed figure stiffened as he slowly slid them down, until it was only just covering the glistening curls beneath. To say that she was utterly affronted and horrified by the movement would be an understatement.

"Sakura, relax."

Sasuke pacified softly, the rosette finding it difficult to follow, even as she allowed him to remove her final barrier, the sticky undergarments tossed to the side as the raven haired Uchiha assessed her fully naked form; Sakura squeaked in embarrassment, closing her legs and pressing her thighs together in the lame attempt to stop him from staring, but to no avail.

Sasuke simply pried them apart with his hands, placing his clothed knee against her weeping slit and rubbing gently, so as to coax her from her shell; she found herself mewling at the contact, strangled gasps leaving her as she held back the tears that had formed in her emerald pearls—he really was too much.

"Does it feel good?"

Sasuke questioned thickly, hissing as he felt the moisture seeping through to his kneecap; she was _overflowing_.

"Nnnaaaaaaahh!"

Was his reply, which seemed to help in inflating his ego all the more, but he soon diverted from that train of thought as he watched her body squirm in the attempt to raise the friction between their body parts; if this kept up the way it was going, Sakura was going to _die_.

Smirking at her actions, Sasuke removed his leg from her sex, unzipping the fly of his jeans before sliding them off of his legs, leaving him in just his black boxers; Sakura had never been more embarrassed in her entire life, at not only what she had been so provocatively displaying, but at what he had done as well. Sliding his hands from their place on her hips, the Uchiha cupped her rear and tugged her toward his rather painful erection, placing her atop it before grinding her heat against his; at first Sakura squealed at the contact, but soon her pelvis was acting of its own accord, rocking against his covered sex until it didn't seem to be enough to sate her—that intense bubbling, raw heat kept growing, expanding, until all was lost to her.

She had no idea what exactly it was that she wanted, craved, so badly, but whatever it was, Sasuke was the only one that could give it to her (pun intended); he was the only one she wanted that would ever make her feel this way.

Light brushes against her slick folds had Sakura seeing white as she threw her head back, mouth agape in a silent scream as her hips mechanically ground against Sasuke's, his tilting to meet hers on a new angle as she felt a warm moisture surrounding her left nipple; gasping rather brokenly at the sensation, Sakura shakily brought her head up, gazing downwards on a slight angle as she watched the spiky haired Uchiha suckling on her hardened peak, nipping and sucking quite complacently as he massaged the neglected mound with his left hand, the right remaining firmly clasped to her ass, kneading the flesh until Sakura felt as if she were turning into a lump of dough—perhaps that was how it was, she honestly didn't know anymore.

The friction only grew as Sakura felt the tips of Sasuke's fingers prodding at her base, the centre's tip sinking into the hot core ever so slightly as his calloused thumb grazed her vulva, slowly making its way toward her clit; Sakura felt herself juddering uncontrollably at the unusual burning in her pussy, but it wasn't because it was painful—no... it was a pleasurable ache that needed to be quenched, before it bordered bleatingly painful.

After fondling with her heightened bundle of nerves, Sasuke decided it was time to cut to the chase; shifting so that he was comfortably propped against the wall (the desks they had been assigned were towards the back of the classroom, against the far right wall), with his legs somewhat spread to accommodate for her figure (closest to her chair), the raven haired Uchiha then carefully caught grip of her wrists, guiding them to rest at a standstill on his lower abdomen, drastically close to the hem of his boxers.

Sakura seemed mildly surprised, but her expression remained as emotionally turbulent as it had been all along, her lust-darkened eyes gazing at him intently as she awaited his verdict.

"Sakura... are you sure...? Once we do this, there's no going back."

The rosette was touched by the sincerity that he had displayed, his annoyingly persistent glasses still in the way of her seeing those gorgeous charcoal eyes of his; ignoring her impatience, Sakura simply nodded in ascent, her fingers curling around the edge of his undergarments, a deep flush spreading across her cheeks as she completely stripped him bare, eyes clamped shut as she threw the shorts to the side.

Her innocent naivety only ripped another sexy chuckle from Sasuke's throat as he reached out to cup her cheek, a smug expression plastered to his features as she peeked through the slits of her eyes, only to go a darker shade of scarlet at the sight; his member stood tall and proud, engorged with blood till the point where it was flushed an unpleasant shade of reddish-violet—a testament to his want for her.

Her limbs shook a little more from this point on; Sakura knew what was required in order for a sexual act to be successfully completed, but she wasn't so sure now.

Was there even a woman on this earth that he could safely thrust into with a *hem* that large?

Blushing at the crudeness of her thoughts, Sakura swallowed heavily, unsure of what to do next; darling virgin! Allowing his smirk to falter into a slight smile, Sasuke gently guided her hips so that he had a proper point of entry, his tip pressed to her opening as he leaned up into her ear, his breath fanning against her cheek as he mumbled softly, for her ears only.

"This might hurt."

Sakura nodded shakily, winding her arms around his neck and nuzzling into the hollow of his throat as he slowly brought her down, his hands supporting her rear as he roughly thrust upward, impaling her with his full length without reserve; Sakura let out a hoarse cry, her eyes watering at the tearing sensation that shot through her lower half, the unbearable stretching her vaginal walls had to do in order to accommodate for one of his size almost excruciating.

Sasuke groaned at the hot, wet tautness that suddenly surrounded his cock, his arms locked firmly so that they cupped her ass to where their hips were joined, taking heed of her pained wail; he wasn't surprised that it was hurting more than it should have been—she was unexpectedly tight, and he was quite well endowed. Together the result produced was sure to have been an undesirable one.

Sakura's body twitched as she tried to recover from the foreign intrusion, but to little avail, as it only caused more pain as she tried to get comfortable (shifting was proving to be working against her, as Sasuke's senses were far more acute than before, and even the slightest of throbs was enough to set him off).

"Sa...kura... _Stop moving_...!"

Sasuke reprimanded through a thickly hormonal voice, his hands itching to raise her ass and have her impale him again and again and again—

"S-Sorry... S-Sa...ahn...suke-kun! I-It just h...urts a little... Give me a minute...!"

Sakura answered weakly, tears lining her lashes as she vainly attempted to collect herself; the Uchiha grunted in reply, before removing a hand from her rear and sliding it down her toned stomach, past her curls (he thought it somewhat adorable that her pubes were the same colour as her hair, the angel) to where her distended protuberance lay stiff, sore and engorged with blood, the tip of his centre finger rubbing against it in the attempt to ease the ache and instead replace it with something more gratifying.

Sakura felt herself stiffen (the sting intensifying at the movement), before her body was rendered jelly against his own, a breathy moan being emitted in place of the pained grunts she had only recently been suffering; the soft tingling only grew as further excreted fluid gathered, slickening her passage and easing her muscles, the rosette vaguely noticing that the pain had long since been substituted by the pleasant euphoria that had just now washed over her body.

"Oh!"

Was her intelligent response to the ministrations he was paying her, his smirk growing as he continued to idly play with her clit; she was quite the responsive specimen, wasn't she?

Removing his now juice-slicked finger from her filled core, Sasuke slid the hand back to its traditional place beneath her ass, tugging her leg forward before he slowly helped guide her back up, the natural lubricant not quite doing much to aid the transition; with that, he slowly pulled her hips downwards, allowing him to sink into her once again, a slightly louder groan leaving his lips as he relished in the feeling, his hands automatically repeating the process, his 'head' pressed to her sex for the briefest of moments before he tilted his hips upwards again, repetitively ramming into her at a slow pace from beneath her frame.

Sakura shuddered as she allowed the different sensations to swamp her, her hips slowly responding to his demands without even realising it, nor without him needing to tell her to; it wasn't long before she was riding him herself, her frame sitting on his lower abdomen rather than hunched over and hidden in the crook of his neck.

This way he could see everything; the vivacious bouncing of her full breasts, the rocking of her hips against his, the provocative sliding of their sexes completely joined, the flushed colouring that dusted her cheeks, the expression of contented bliss that was unwavering on her face.

Amidst it all, he was able to summon the will to smirk, his hands still grasping her ass as she quickened the pace, her breathing laboured and thick as she leaned forward, her hands clutching his shoulders as she gazed into the lenses of his glasses, seeing her flustered expression reflected; pouting ever so slightly, Sakura slid her hands up into the length of his sweaty locks, fisting the hair between her palms as she felt a spasm begin to erupt within the network of nerves that was located at the forefront of her pussy, building until the pressure needed to be alleviated.

"P-Please...! F-Faster!"

Sakura moaned hoarsely, her eyes beginning to water once again as she ground down upon his cock, trying to end the fire that had only just ignited; grunting in reply, Sasuke clutched her rear, raising one of his legs so that it was hooked behind her ass, the applied pressure allowing him to dig far deeper as he leaned backwards into the wall, raising his hips at a much faster rate.

Sakura could no longer keep up with his new pace, her body jostling above his roughly as their skin slapped together, sweat causing them to stick together before they were forcefully peeled apart, the fire finally peaking to its absolute climax.

The rosette could feel herself teetering on the edge of bliss, but before she allowed herself to fall over that peak, she reached up to where the rims of his glasses were, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she removed them from his face, placing them gently onto the pile of clothing beside them as she returned her gaze to meet his fathomless pools of onyx—just then, as she found herself as equally lost in his eyes as he was in hers, she felt the coil snap, her clit swelling before releasing spasm after powerful spasm; the ejaculated fluids sloshed to her base, sweltering around Sasuke's member as she finally came, a broken scream exiting her lips as her walls clenched tautly around his cock, pulling him over the edge after three heavy thrusts, the added resistance of her pussy bringing him to orgasm as well, her still clenching muscles milking him of everything he had left in him.

Sasuke's muscles went from rigid to lax in seconds, his figure slouching against wall as he leaned into it for extra support, his hands still holding Sakura's rear as she shook off the last of her high; it seemed that hers was yet to finish, if the paroxysms around her upper thighs and core said anything. With her head still raised to the roof of the classroom, face completely contorted with ecstasy, she looked the part of an angel; very fitting for the school's 'sweetheart', ne?

After a few moments of getting used to the adrenaline rush fading from her system, Sakura finally raised her shaky gaze to Sasuke, whom seemed too tired to be pleased with what he had reduced her to, instead conveying his gratitude to her by bundling her up to his chest, hands automatically running through her long bubblegum tresses as he calmed his erratic breathing; after several minutes in companionable silence, Sasuke finally spoke.

"You _do_ know what this means now, right Sakura?"

When she shook her head against his chest—signifying her confusion—Sasuke simply sighed, before reverting back to what he had been going to say.

"It means that we are now officially recognised as a couple, since we've 'done the deed'."

Sakura flushed at his vulgar terminology for their lovemaking, but was suddenly brought back to the present when she realised where they were, what they had done, and why they had done it; Sasuke was leaving her.

The torn look on her face was enough for him to press a soft kiss to her temple, moving down to where the first of her tears had fallen, where he had then taken the liberty of kissing them all away; Sakura's hands found their way to his hair, tugging him toward her as she pressed her lips against the corner of his mouth, her hiccupping never ceasing.

"No matter where I am, I'll always be here. Even if these marks soon fade," that's funny, Sakura never recalled him leaving any hickeys on her flesh, "They will always be a reminder of everything that has happened today; they will always represent _this_. Remember that, and stop crying, alright? I promise you, I _will_ be back on the day of your graduation, aa?"

When Sakura nodded in reply, he smiled smugly, wiping the remainder of her tears away, before kissing her softly, his lips never leaving hers for a moment.

* * *

It was time for them to be separated.

The seniors' graduation had dawned upon the entire school's faculty, and so everyone was gathered at the assembly hall to wish them well and send them on their way into the outside world; Sakura had never felt so sick in her life.

With tears pooling in her depths, the rosette haired girl awaited for Sasuke's name to be called; being the valedictorian, it was his duty to send them off dutifully.

She watched as he strode across the stage, confident with every step he took, before he took his rightful place at centre stage; the only problem? _His glasses were nowhere to be seen_. Excited squeals were ushered from the females of the facility, people pointing to the man they had believed to be a 'nerd'.

The only one that had known better was the pink haired girl toward the back of the rows, whom seemed horrified by the sudden surge of attention he was receiving.

Ignoring their commentary, Sasuke cleared his throat to speak, his orifice opening to vocalise the words.

"The time of our lives has arrived, dawned upon us faster than any of us could have expected, where we spread our wings and soar; we break free from the confining restraints that had previously weighed us down, kept us tied to our empty promises and gluttonous desires."

Everyone was confused with the sudden change in tone, but they listened on intently, never missing the angered flashes of crimson that flittered through his breathtaking charcoal orbs.

"We as the senior faculty were responsible for guiding our fellow peers, of all social standing, shaping them into model students that could set the same high aspirations for the future generation of students that shall inevitably attend here. But it seems that this goal was long since forgotten, pushed to the very backs of our minds for instead the lure of far more promising ventures. As you may recall, a month ago, I, along with a fellow underclassman were involved in a brawl that almost cost several lives; it brings into question how, even after all of this unrestrained violence, I managed to keep for myself this honorary position as valedictorian, and why it is that the standards of us as seniors have deteriorated over the years."

The hushed outbreak of chatter did not seem to vote well for Sasuke, but he continued on, a strength in his eyes Sakura had never seen before fuelling his determination.

"It is a question poised without answer. And the reason for this is because no one is willing to actually stop and think as to the original cause of such a felon within the community; from my observations, however, it is quite clear to me that the reason for this is because of the lack of respect not only shown to fellow peers and senior class members, but to the younger factions as well. Having respect for grown adults and fellows of the same carriage is all well and good, but whatever happened to the civilities paid to our underclassman? That was a lost cause only displayed to me when several of my classmates ganged up on a younger student, with the sole intentions of raping her."

Shuttered gasps broke out through the audience, Sakura's hands instantly clamping over her mouth so as to stop the whimper that was sure to have left her lips had she not been caught somewhat prepared for the sudden change in topic; what the fuck was he doing?

"It may seem rather farfetched, but it is anything but a lie; I know this because out of all of the students I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting at this school, she happens to stand out the most, recognised as a somewhat discriminated 'sweetheart' amongst you all."

Everyone's eyes snapped to Sakura's shrunken frame, her eyes timidly drawn to Sasuke's figure at the podium, his eyes warm and reassuring for the briefest of moments, before reverting back to their steely perfection.

"The time that I spent with this pre-assumed 'sweetheart', although short as it was, led me to realise that although much of this school's reputation has been dwindled and thrown astray, there were still model students hidden amongst the less congruent of them; not only could she accept _anyone_ for _who they were_, but even if one had committed a wrongdoing against her very name, she would instantly go to their defence if any harm were to further befall them. She is an admirable human being, one that should be treasured not as the stereotypical 'sweetheart', but as the diamond in the rough that she is; with further growth under a stronger, more student-friendly alliance, she can very well come out as the glittering gem that I already see. It would make graduating, and being set free, a far more enriching experience, wouldn't you agree?"

As Sasuke thanked the crowd for listening, the vaguest of claps could be heard, before the entire auditorium exploded with applause, people whistling and cat-calling even as he stepped from the stage, teenage girls (and even the odd teacher) flocking him like vultures to a carcass; before they could even lay a finger on him, however, Sasuke slipped off into the crowd, shaking hands with a few of his aforementioned underclassman and wishing them luck on their journeys through high school, before he made his way to the pink haired sophomore that was currently attempting to escape via the barricaded entryway.

The girls protested as they begged for his number, barely keeping up with his hasty pace as he finally made it to where Sakura's trembling figure was, anxiously trying to slip away unnoticed; he wouldn't have any of that.

"What I never had the chance to say, Haruno-san, was that even if this year together has drawn to an end, as long as those marks remain close to your heart, I'll never truly be gone from your life, long after they have faded from you."

Sakura barely had time to stop her freely flowing tears from falling when he captured her lips in a heated kiss, one that the entire assembly bore witness to; they didn't care.

Not anymore.

* * *

As they said their final goodbyes, Sakura reluctantly made her way over to where Sasuke was standing with his large group of friends, smirking offhandedly at one of the comments a slightly shorter blonde had said; the expression shifted, however, when he caught sight of the moving blob of pink making its way toward him.

His features had completely softened as he separated from the animated group, telling them to wait up for him at the bar so that they could celebrate with drinks later that night; this was it—their final 'goodbye'.

The silence was tense and awkward as Sakura fidgeted with her hands, gazing at her feet, anywhere where his face wasn't; that was unacceptable, even for him. His hand snapped out so quickly that Sakura hadn't the chance to move before he raised her head by her chin, the tears that had been so close to falling leaking out from the corners of her eyes until they met their end at his fingertips.

"What did I tell you about crying?"

When he received no response, he simply leaned forward, kissing her again and again until she was weeping, his name whispered like a mantra under her hoarse breath as she tried to regain herself and settle her jittery, tumultuous emotions; this was hard, so, so fucking hard.

Breaking apart, Sasuke pressed his forehead against hers, the silent pattering of rain hitting the gravel at their feet only intensifying until it sounded as if a bowl of endless eminems was being poured, the heavy wave of water soaking them to the bone.

Sakura never thought she'd gather the courage to say it, but she did.

Somehow, she did...

"_I love you._"

...

...

...

"_I know_."

With that, he walked away, leaving her on her knees, wailing to whatever god would take the time to listen; that day, whoever was listening had to bear with the sound of her heart breaking in two.

* * *

**2**y_e_**a**r_s_** l**a_t_**e**r_._**.**.

_

* * *

_

"—and now we are free to do as we wish with our lives, aspire to all of our ambitions and dreams until we have achieved them all; why limit them, when you have your entire life ahead of you, filled with endless opportunities? Thank you for listening, and go forth with the opportunities presented to you, embrace them, and take it as far as you can possibly go."

The applause sounded as Sakura stepped from the podium, thunder rumbling ominously in the backdrop as the outside pagoda was packed away; ever since a _certain someone's_ influential speech, things had changed for the better at Konoha High. There were higher levels of respect shown, and for that, Sakura was proud to have been a part of the community.

But now, as _he_ had once said, it was time for her to break free from her restraints and soar; and indeed that was what she intended to do.

Throwing her graduation cap along with the milling seniors, Sakura couldn't prevent the smile that graced her lips, somewhat sad and bitter as she turned to head off to the reception; that is until, of course, an all too familiar figure shifted their build so that they were more than noticeable from the crowd of graduating students.

Oh God... he came... just like he said he would.

He approached her, casual in his stride, until he came to a stop only inches from herself, his hands stuffed indifferently into his suit's pants as he looked her up and down, as if scrutinizing her appearance.

She thought that she'd be happy to see him, after all these years (short as they were); quite frankly, they hadn't been long enough, 'cause the wound he had handed her had yet to properly heal, if ever.

"What are you doing here?"

Sakura questioned coldly, her eyes steely as she gazed to the side, tears welling as soon as the words left her lips; she really couldn't deny the fact that she still loved him, even after he had walked away from her, for no apparent reason. Sasuke didn't seemed to be fazed by this in the slightest; if anything, he seemed oddly snug with what he had to say.

"I promised you, didn't I? I promised that I'd be here the day you graduated from high school, right?"

"What does that have to do with anything anymore? You left me standing there after I told you how I felt! You left me to cry alone, even when you said that you'd never leave me—!"

His lips ended all qualms she had been about to make, all the while a single hand sliding beneath the fabric of her skirt to where her covered sex was, the tip of his finger pushing and pulling at her clit until she saw stars; his spare arm wound around her waist so as to prevent her from moving away from him, as he completely slid the appendage into her moistening passage, his thumb tracing at her bundle of heightened nerves until she _was_ weeping—but it wasn't just because of the reminiscent 'fling' they had had.

It was how he had managed to hurt her all over again, without even trying to.

"Nnn! W...hy...? Why did you... le...eave? When I told you how I-I felt...! Why?"

Sakura managed to grit out as she rolled her hips reflexively against the hand he was using to pleasure her, thankful that there wasn't a soul around to see her involved in such an act; Sasuke paused in his ministrations, before continuing to idly stroke her, his eyes soft and thoughtful for a moment.

"Because I had to be sure."

Okay, what?

"What do you mean by that?"

Sasuke smirked slightly, adding a second finger to the task of making her collapse with want (why was he using such an underhanded method [making her horny] in order to prolong her suffering?) as he thought over his reply.

"I had to be sure that you were ready for the implications of your words."

Seriously? Is that all he could offer up as an explanation? Just as Sakura thought she'd be able to reach her second climax in a lifetime (no sex since him), Sasuke removed his fingers from her, glistening in all their glory with her fluids, before he held them up laxly to the faded sunlight, storm clouds hanging overhead as he looked at it thoughtfully before asking a question that had Sakura's heart clench in her chest.

"Do you remember what I said to you that day, before I departed? About never being alone?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed as she glared lightly at him, a deep, admittedly sexy (was it just her, or was his voice deeper than before?) chuckle being emitted as her response as Sasuke responded to his own musing with a quip of his own.

"I said something along the lines of 'as long as you know that you bear these marks, and take them close to your heart, I will never truly be gone, long after they fade away'; guess what? _My mark is still on you_, even now, as we speak."

The rosette's eyes widened considerably as she looked intently at his fingers, coated with her arousal, before allowing herself to feel (via the miracle of rubbing her thighs together in the attempt to stop herself from touching herself properly) the generous wetness that was smeared over the material of her panties; he was true to his word. His mark hadn't left her; otherwise, she wouldn't be feeling as she was now.

After all, there had been a time where she had sworn that he would be the only one to ever make her feel like this; nothing had changed since then.

She still felt the same, body, heart— broken as it was—and soul.

"Do you understand? I left to clarify if things would be the same, even if there was hatred between us, and it is. But more than anything, I left because I needed to prepare for what was to come, what _we_ were to become."

"A-And that is...?"

Dread pooled in Sakura's gut; he didn't want her anymore, did he?

"Haruno Sakura, I ask for you your hand in marriage; to be forever by my side, as my wife, friend, lover, the mother of my children, and the one constant turn-on in my life."

Now _that_ was a shocker; she hadn't expected that _at all_.

For the first time in years, when the rain poured down around them, the reason she shed tears was not because she was heartbroken, but because she was truly happy—it wasn't in the heat of the moment that drove her to the backseat of his car, nor was it the in the heat of the moment that she screamed yes at the top of her lungs over and over again... no...

It was the once withered love affair reignited by the simplest of actions and touches.

Ah, the wonders of afterschool rhapsodies...

* * *

**a/n: FINALLY FUCKING **_**FINISHED**_**! XD  
**

**Ugh, this took **_**far**_** longer than I had initially assumed... but at least it's over now, ne?  
**

**I hope you enjoyed it! Lol, my dreams surely have to be quite the knockouts, right? XD  
**

**Please review for this guys! **

**I would greatly appreciate any feedback! (:  
**

**Ja ne! x)  
**

***-Sasukeluva 4eva out-***


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